Oliver's Blog

Tuesday 21st
March 2017

Eat your veg and live longer

The UK government has long recommended that people eat five portions or 400 grams of vegetables and fruit a day as this reduces our chances of developing heart disease, stroke and cancer, the plagues of modern society.

A recent review by scientists at the School of Public Health, Imperial College London, has concluded that eating 800 grams a day has an even greater beneficial affect, reducing heart disease by 24 per cent, stroke by 33 per cent, cancer by 13 per cent, and a 31 per cent reduced risk of dying prematurely.

800 grams a day? That seems like a lot of vegetables, but this is exactly what most people following macrobiotic guidelines have been doing for years. If there is one thing we are good at, it is cooking a wide range of vegetables in many attractive and appetising recipes.

Here’s a picture of a lunch I made a few days ago, with couscous and sunflower seeds, a tempeh and carrot stew, fried kale and sesame seeds, and a grated carrot, beetroot and watercress salad with a home-made vegan mayonnaise.

Yummy, and containing around 300 grams of vegetables, including the tempeh as it is made from beans which count for 1 portion of fruit and vegetables each day, this is keeping my heart, brain and whole body well.

The review says that eating a good amount of vegetables and fruit has clearly been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure, while boosting the health of blood vessels and the immune system. Particularly recommended are green vegetables like kale and spring greens, and yellow vegetables like carrots and squash, which have been shown to cut the risk of cancer.

It is great to see modern science confirming what macrobiotics has been saying for decades, that through simple dietary and lifestyle changes we can do much ourselves to keep ourselves well, and avoid many of the serious degenerative illnesses which are so common in modern western society. Please come and find out more about how you can do this for yourself with our range of cooking and wellbeing courses.